How to Grow Cinnamon

Cinnamon is exotic, spicy and flavorful, but did you know that the culinary spice comes from a tree? It may surprise you to learn that you can learn how to grow cinnamon at home no matter where you live. In fact, growing a cinnamon tree is easier than you might think!

The first and most important thing to know when growing cinnamon is that you can easily overwater them. Cinnamon tree roots prefer to stay on the dry side, so you will want to water them less often than you do other plants to keep the soil somewhat dry. The roots are susceptible to root rot otherwise.

To grow cinnamon trees in a pot, start with a seedling or cutting and good well drained potting mix that is on the acidic side. I like a 50/50 mix of perlite and sphagnum moss. You will want a spot that has lots of good sunlight, whether full or partial sun is largely up to you. Depending on the container size you choose, your cinnamon tree can get anywhere from 3 to 8 feet tall, and can be pruned to maintain smaller sizes as desired.

Resist the urge to baby your cinnamon tree. These plants will do quite well with a minimum of involvement from you. If you like, fertilize with a liquid fertilizer once a month during the active growing season, but even this isn’t necessary. You can prune the plant at any time as desired for shape and size, or for harvesting.

Harvesting cinnamon bark requires that you cut the branches or stems from the plant itself. Score the bark without cutting all the way through the bark. Once you have done this a time or two you will know exactly how deep to go to loosen the cinnamon bark.

Whether your cinnamon tree is indoors or out, be sure to maintain a temperature no lower than 60 degrees at all times.